The True Authority
by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns
Summary: Pansy knew that she was the true authority of Kirkwall. All she had to do was take it. Warnings for mild self harm. Dragon Age!AU


Notes: Warnings for minor self harm. Dragon Age!AU

* * *

Another year passed in Kirkwall after the Champion had left its presence, and the town had to appoint another noble to take the role of Viscount.

One thing was certain; it was _not_ Pansy Parkinson.

Each year the Viscount authority was given to another one of Pansy's brothers, and each year her want for the position only grew.

 _She_ was the rightful claim to sit on the throne to work alongside the Chantry, _not_ her brothers. She was the oldest, wisest, and _deserved_ it.

Yet it was the fact that she wasn't 'ready', according to her mother. It was all lies; it was because she was a woman, nothing more and nothing less.

But Pansy had a plan. She would be taking care of the current claim of the Viscount, blood be damned. He shouldn't have taken the position from her; Pansy was the true authority. Now he would reap the consequences of his actions and her mother's obliviousness to what was right in front of her.

Pansy hoped for there to be a lot of blood spilled; it would compensate for all the times that could have been hers if she was where she was supposed to be: gazing upon the people of Kirkwall from her crimson throne.

* * *

It was dawn when Pansy left the keep, heading out of Hightown into the slums of Lowtown. She had a goal in mind that she sought to achieve before the years ended; and given the intensity that she felt for achieving said goal, Pansy would stop at nothing until the power of Viscount was in her hands.

Disguising her appearance behind the hood atop her head, Pansy glanced around at the people in Lowtown who were selling items and scraping to get by. It was disgusting to see such groveling, but she couldn't do anything about it.

Not yet.

She kept moving towards her destination, not making eye contact or speaking to anyone until she reached the forbidden Darktown. Should her mother find out about Pansy being in the old mine, she'd have locked Pansy in her room until the end of her days.

It was a good thing that Pansy planned to end her mother's days first.

Behind her hood, her face scrunched up at the putrid atmosphere that greeted her in Darktown; the toxic fog really does a number on the place.

Pansy's eyes swept across the dirtied men and women surrounding the area until they stopped on someone who looked less dirty than the others. His black hair fell to his shoulders in soft waves, and his tall, lean physique was dressed in navy robes lined in silver.

A small smile tugged at the woman's lips as she sauntered towards him; she made sure to keep her hood secure all the same. "Theodore," she drawled, "I believe that you should be tending to our sessions."

The man looked away from the other man he was talking to and gave Pansy a silent nod. Dismissing himself from the man, Theodore walked off in another direction. Pansy followed behind him quickly and quietly until they reached a door on the other end of the old mine.

Theodore opened the door, and Pansy made her way inside. Once she heard it shut and the click of a heavy lock, she removed the hood off her head and looked amusingly at Theodore.

"Another man?" she questioned, untying the knot that secured her robes around her body.

"Perhaps," Theodore replied, "but is that new?"

Pansy shook her head with a laugh. "I see you building your harem of manservants. The Potter lad would be an excellent addition."

Theodore snorted and rolled his eyes. "Are you wanting the practice today or not?"

She ceased laughing and nodded. "You know damn well I want to practice. The faster I get this right, the faster I can rid myself of the obstacles in my way."

"Very well." Theodore headed over to one of the barrels and opened it. Inside, a hissing sound grew throughout the room.

Pansy's fingers twitched as she anticipated the events to come. As Theodore allowed the dark snake to wrap around his arm, he reached for a blade that was sitting on top of the barrel next to the one he grabbed the snake from.

She eyed the blade, admiring its beauty. It was known as the Blade of Saarebas according to Theodore, and it held dark properties that increased the power of whoever uses it. Its golden handle was Pansy's favorite part of it; it was genuine gold yet was lightweight in her hand as she held it.

Once the blade was within her reach, Pansy took hold of it and kept a steady eye on the snake moving on Theodore's arm.

"How's Draco?" Theodore asked. "Does he know of our meetings?"

Pansy pursed her lips. For the past ten meetings, Theodore would ask her those two questions; and she would give him the same answer. Pansy didn't want Draco involved in this; it was her duty alone to take care of the problem she had. If he found out about what she was doing, Draco would no doubt want to do everything himself.

It was her moment to show him and her family what she was capable of, and she can't do that if she's letting him do yet another thing for her.

"Of course he doesn't," Pansy answered in a clipped tone, raising her free hand slowly in front of her.

"You know how protective he is," Theodore pointed out.

"I'd rather not discuss my best friend as I'm about to destroy one of the animals he favors."

"Fair enough."

Pansy concentrated as she took the blade to her raised hand. Her lips moved as she chanted words of another language, and the sharp sting from the blade creating a slice in her hand was not there as it used to be in the past.

She couldn't rejoice in that fact yet; she had to concentrate. Blood magic was serious, deadly business, and one false move could be her life. It wouldn't be fair to have her life taken away before her mother's and brother's lives, so Pansy kept true.

The more she chanted, the more a surge rushed through her body. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as a shiver tickled her spine. Blood dripped down her hand as she directed it at the snake. Her eyes locked with the snake's head as the blood began to rise and form a dark ball.

A pulsing energy circled the ball as the snake unraveled itself from Theodore's arm.

A rueful smile stretched on Pansy's face as she mentally commanded the snake to slither to the floor. The snake obliged without a second thought, and Pansy released the ball towards her target.

It glowed an ugly shade of black before shredding before her eyes. After the snake was confirmed dead, Pansy broke her concentration, breathing heavily.

Her chest rose quickly as she sent a grin Theodore's way. She noticed he looked stoic, but the brightness in his eyes told her that she had done well.

She could feel the rise in her power and strength from the completion of her task, and it felt amazing.

"You're getting better," Theodore remarked.

Pansy gripped the blade. Her surge of power was dancing along the line of fatigue. "Indeed," she said, "and soon enough, I'll be advanced enough to take what's mine."

"Make sure to remember the little people when you're in charge," Theodore joked lightly.

Pansy approached Theodore, caressing his cheek with her undamaged hand. "I wouldn't dare," she replied, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. "I shall return in a week's time."

Without another word, Pansy handed Theodore the blade and put her robes back on. Once her appearance was covered again, Pansy left out of the secluded room and Darktown back towards her bedroom in the Viscount's keep.

* * *

Pansy walked through the foyer of her home and up to the second floor with her hands clenched into fists. There was no one around as the Templars were guarding the main doors, so she could move as she pleased.

She was close to securing her room on the next floor when the sound of heels clicking hit her ears.

Pansy clasped her hands behind her back and straightened her posture as the culprit (who happened to be her mother) peered at her with those dark eyes she possessed. "Care to tell me why you're bleeding?" she asked.

Pansy glanced down to notice that a drop of blood had made its way on the clean floor. Inwardly cursing, Pansy smiled softly and shook her head. "I nicked myself on the thorns in the garden," she answered, "my apologies, Mother."

"See to it that you get that cleaned up," her mother snarled, "I won't have my floors dirtied in the wake of your brother's Crowning Day. Our guests continue to arrive, and we must make the right impression."

"Yes…" Pansy agreed, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent the growl that threatened to surface, "...we can't have that."

Her mother gave her a curt nod before making her way out of the corridor. Once her mother's back was to her, Pansy's expression turned sour, and she clenched her fists as she sped to her bedroom.

Her handmaiden was waiting for her arrival by her bedroom door, and Pansy cleared her throat.

"Susan," Pansy said, "there's a mess in the second floor I need for you to dispose of before my mother's workers get to it." She gave her handmaiden a look that said 'keep it to yourself'.

Susan bowed her head. "Yes, ma'am." She curtsied and scurried off, leaving Pansy to enter to room.

* * *

"Look who's finally in their own chambers," came the voice of the man Pansy didn't want to communicate with right now. His blond hair was swept back, contrasting with the black clothing he wore on his muscled body from head to toe.

She effectively hid the flinch that formed and masked it with a smile. "Draco, darling," she said, "sneaking into my room again?" A playful snarl came to her face. "And get your damn feet away from my mirror."

Draco snorted, swinging his legs off the vanity. "It's not sneaking if it's not locked, Pans."

Her breath hitched. How could that be?

As if he were reading her mind, Draco waved a small pick in front of her with a wicked grin. Pansy could have choked Draco in that instant, but she was internally grateful that it wasn't anything else.

"What do you want, Draco?"

"I can't simply visit my friend in her chambers because I care?"

"There's only two reasons that Draco Malfoy would be visiting a woman's chambers, and it's not because you simply want to visit."

Draco placed a hand on his chest and scoffed. "I am appalled at such a statement."

"But you won't deny it," Pansy said.

Draco clicked his tongue and waved his hand dismissively. "I've heard some damning information about a beautiful noble heading into the slums of Kirkwall," he said as he approached Pansy.

Pansy clenched her fists behind her back as he spoke.

"You know I have connections all over the place, Pansy," he said, "did you really think that I wouldn't find out about what you're doing?"

"Theodore told you, didn't he?"

"Does it matter?" Draco said, "Theo is doing what he is supposed to for his friends."

Her body shook, and she felt the rush from the magic flowing through her. "He was supposed to keep our meetings secret!"

"And you're supposed to reach out to your friends!"

The two were centimeters apart, and Pansy could read the anger in his eyes that she was sure she was projecting herself. Her mind was darkening with thoughts that included hurting something right now.

Draco must have seen it in her eyes because he took a step back and grabbed her wrists. "This pursuit is killing the person I care about," he told her, "let me help you."

Pansy shook her head. "No, I can't," she replied, "I can't let you be involved in this."

"You must mistake me for someone who listens to reason often."

Pansy laughed in disbelief and leaned into him, and that darkening feeling drained from her body as tears spilled from her eyes.. "Now look what you've done. My makeup is ruined."

Draco kissed her hair. "Wouldn't be the first girl I've made cry."

"I deserve that chair, Draco."

"I know."

"This was the only way to avoid detection."

"I know."

"I am the true authority."

"The best looking authority that I've ever seen."

Pansy pulled back and wiped her eyes. "Flattery will get you nowhere."

"I've already gotten somewhere. I'm the best right hand man that'll ever grace Kirkwall."

She smiled at her best friend. Yes, she knew that Draco would do anything for her, but it was something that she had to do for herself.

That feeling she had when it came to practising blood magic was so exhilarating, and Pansy wanted to continue to feel that.

And she would, when she took her mother and brother's life and sat upon the throne as the Viscountess of Kirkwall.

* * *

A/N: Written for The Houses Competition and HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)

(THC) **House** : Hufflepuff; **Position/Year** : HoH; **Category** : Themed; **Prompt** : [Speech] "Care to tell me why you're bleeding?"

(HSWW) **Assignment #6 Lineage Studies Task 2** : write about someone feeling/being powerful

 **Book of the Month: Tucker Beaumont** : (word) protective, (creature) snake, (dialogue) "I see you building your harem of manservants."

 **Mario Day** : Video Game!AU

 **Liza's Loves** : Gamer - Game!AU

 **365 Prompts Challenge** : 25. AU - Game

 **Lent Challenge** : write about someone committing a sinful act

 **Insane House Challenge** : Emotion - Fed Up

 **Cooking Cocktail Corner** : Apple - (character) Draco Malfoy

 **Word Count** : 2211


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